The ELPAC

English Language Proficiency Assessments for

California
The ELPAC measures English language proficiency (ELP)
The ELPAC must be given to students whose primary language is a language
other than English
The ELPAC will replace the CELDT (California English Language Development
Test) fully by the 2018-2019 school year
State and federal law require local educational agencies to administer the
ELPAC
The ELPAC is for students in kindergarten (or year one of a two-year
kindergarten program) through twelfth grade
The ELPAC is aligned with the 2012 California English Language Development
Standards
The ELPAC is comprised of two separate ELP assessments
An initial assessment (IA) to identify students as English learners
An annual summative assessment (SA) to measure a students progress
in learning English and to identify the students ELP level
The IA is shorter than the SA
The ELPAC is administered in the four domains of listening, speaking, reading,
and writing
The ELPAC is a paper-pencil assessment.
Kindergarten and first grade students are administered the test one-on-one
Speaking items are administered to all students one-on-one and scored by a
trained test examiner in real time
Group administration is provided for listening, reading, and writing for second
through twelfth grade
The listening domain for kindergarten through second grade is read aloud to
students by a text examiner while in third through twelfth grade, recorded audio is
used
The writing domain is entirely constructed-response items and does not contain
any multiple-choice items
Students will score within four levels regarding their ELP
4 Fully Functional
3 Moderately Functional
2 Somewhat Functional
1 Limited to Not Functional

ELPAC Task Types

Different grades have different task types assessed
There are different amounts of questions asked and points given for
different domains and different task types within the different domains
Different skills are assessed for the IA and SA
Listening
Listen to a classroom conversation
IA: K-2
SA: K-12
Listen to a story
IA: K-5
SA: K-5
Listen to an oral presentation
IA: K-12
SA: K-12
Choose a reply
IA: K-12
SA: K-12
Listen to speakers support opinions
IA: 9-12
SA: 6-12
Speaking
Speech functions
IA: 3-8
SA: 2-12
4-Picture narrative
IA: K-2
SA: K-5
Talk about a scene
IA: K-12
SA: K-12
Answer and ask questions
SA: K-1
Support an opinion
IA: 3-12
SA: K-12
Summarize an academic presentation
IA: 9-12

 SA: K-12
Present and discuss information
SA: 6-12
Reading
Read-along word with scaffolding
IA: K-1
SA: K
Read-along story with scaffolding
IA: K-1
SA: K
Read-along sentence
IA: K-1
SA: K
Read-along information
IA: K-1
SA: K
Read and choose a word
IA: 2
SA: 1-2
Read and choose a sentence
IA: 2
SA: 1-5
Read a literary passage
IA: 2
SA: 1-12
Read a short informational passage
IA: 2-12
SA: 1-12
Read an informational passage
IA 3-12
SA: 1-12
Read a student essay
SA: 6-12
Writing
Label a picture - Word with scaffolding
IA: K-2
SA: K-2
Write a story together with scaffolding
IA: K-2

SA: K-2
Write an informational text together
IA: 3-5
SA: 1-2
Write and support an opinion
IA: 1-5
SA: K-5
Label a picture - Sentence
IA: 3-5
SA: 2-5
Read and respond to a message
IA: 6-8
SA: 3-12
Write about an experience
IA: 6-8
SA: 3-12
Write about academic information
SA: 6-12
Justify an opinion
IA: 9-12
SA: 6-12
Summarize a presentation
IA: 9-12
SA: 6-12

ELPAC Initial Assessment Number of Items and Points by Domain and Grade
Domain

K
K
1
1
2
2
3-5
3-5
6-8
6-8
9-10 9-10 11-12 11-12
Items Points Items Points Items Points Items Points Items Points Items Points Items Points

Listening

14

14

14

14

14

14

14

14

14

14

14

14

14

14

Speaking

14

14

14

14

14

14

14

Reading

13

10

10

10

10

10

10

10

10

10

10

10

10

10

Writing

13

15

11

22

14

Totals

40

51

38

53

40

60

35

52

32

45

32

46

32

46

ELPAC Summative Assessment Number of Items and Points by Domain and Grade
Domain

K
K
1
1
2
2
3-5
3-5
6-8
6-8
9-10 9-10 11-12 11-12
Items Points Items Points Items Points Items Points Items Points Items Points Items Points

Listening

22

22

22

22

22

22

22

22

22

22

22

22

22

22

Speaking

12

25

12

25

24

24

26

26

26

Reading

24

18

20

20

26

26

26

26

28

28

28

28

28

28

Writing

15

13

26

13

27

22

21

21

21

Totals

67

80

67

93

70

99

64

94

65

97

65

97

65

97

Resources
Educational Testing Service. (2016). Proposed test blueprints for the English language
proficiency assessments for California. Retrieved from
http://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/tg/ep/documents/elpacblueprts.pdf
Educational Testing Service. (2016). Definitions of proposed task types for the English
language proficiency assessments for California. Retrieved from
http://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/tg/ep/documents/elpactasktypes.pdf
Educational Testing Service. (2017). ELPAC: English language proficiency

assessments for California. Retrieved from http://www.elpac.org/